Sofia, Bulgaria (My Sportsbook) - Following a 1-0 UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying win over Luxembourg on Wednesday night, Bulgarian National Team captain Stiliyan Petrov came out to say he will retire from international football at the ripe age of 27. The Aston Villa midfielder shocked many with the news and is set to make an official statement on Saturday. Bulgaria's manager Hristo Stoichkov and Bulgarian Football Union president Borislav Mihailov have neither confirmed or denied the news as of yet. Petrov took over the skipper position for Bulgaria in April 2003 after Krassimir Balakov retired, leading his country to the UEFA EURO 2004 finals. Bulgaria currently stands tied for second in points in Group G play in the EURO 2008 qualifiers. The captain formerly suited up for CSKA Sofia and Celtic before landing at Villa Park on August 30 of this year. Petrov has scored seven goals for his nation since his 1998 debut, as he has tallied 63 in league play, none of which came post-ink with Aston Villa. |
